I downloaded the release candidate from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/t...displayLang=en and ran a problem free update on one of the hack machines in the workshops. No notable changes seen but the PC does run faster and there appears to be a reduction in PF usage at idle. I will now run this out across the other machines on the network and report any problems!
Or you could wait until it's officially released This testing will need to be run again at that stage I hear it should be soon.
For others reading this, release candidate, is a new way of saying beta without any major updating to do, ie it's still being prepared for final release. To avoid inevitable support replies, release candidate is not actually beta, but after tons of reading, the word beta, has lost its meaning.
Reguardless I will be watching to see how it goes. Sure is good to have you testing this for us Albert!
Real ram usage depends upon many factors. Programs use Virtual memory <= pagefile size and will use as much real ram as allowed UNTIL some other program needs memory. (Virtual) Page stealing based upon demand will prune the real memory actually used for all programs so that all programs continue to run. The more REAL RAM you have then reduces the number of page steals and thus increases general performance of the system. Real memory usage should always be very near 100% and is managed by the OS.
Yeh, I know jobeard. I was just wondering IF the OS itself is using less RAM with SP3, or if it is simply trying to keep more stuff in real RAM rather than paged.
good question -- as yet t.b.d OS theory says you lock real ram for must have data and leave as much as possible for everything else. This includes kernel threads that can be interrupted and paged just like user data. Modern designs for V.M. are 'self-tuning' in that pages that are really necessary become so by the frequency of reference(FR). Under heavy demand, other pages get paged out instead of the FR pages.
Morning all - bright and sunny Monday in Middle England - gah! So - installed Windows XP SP3 beta on my laptop over the weekend - totally painless and no problems. That's two machines done without a hitch but I am not going to do any more for the time being - certainly not on my main machine nor to any of my clients - until the final release from Microsoft. Same speed increase noted on the laptop as the wksps machine but the laptop has more stuff on it, all of which seem to work without error. The laptop was getting slower and slower as it needed an enema - won't bother now!
